Detroit Red Wings face the St. Louis Blues again Wednesday night

Detroit Red Wings’ Johan Franzen (93) and Henrik Zetterberg celebrate the game-winning goal by teammate Pavel Datsyuk that got past St. Louis Blues goalie Brian Elliott (1) during the third period of a game earlier this month. (AP Photo)

DETROIT – Since the Wings’ season-opening embarrassment in St. Louis, both teams have been heading in different directions.

The Wings have beaten the Blues twice since the 6-0 defeat in game one by a combined score of 10-4.

“I think halfway through the second game we played them we started to limit their opportunities,” Jimmy Howard said. “They’re a team that likes to get on the forecheck, get through the neutral zone fast and use their big bodies and speed to wear on your (defense), so by cutting them off halfway through the second game and then when we went back to St. Louis, we executed the game plan really well of hemming them in their own zone.”

The Wings won the second meeting between the Central Division foes, 5-3, and then beat the Blues in St. Louis last meeting, 5-1. The Wings and the Blues meet again Wednesday night at Joe Louis Arena.

Advertisement

“The first time everyone was all over the place, we weren’t on the same page,” Niklas Kronwall said. “We were two steps behind, we were chasing all night long. We weren’t even close.

“Our game has gotten a lot better, feels like we have better structure,” Kronwall continued. “We’re on the same page. We’re doing the little things better. We’re still a work in progress, still have a lot of things to get better at but it’s moving in the right direction.”

Over the last four games St. Louis has given up 21 goals. In three of those four games, the Blues have scored just once in each of them.

But despite the Blues earning just one point in February, they are just two points behind Detroit in the standings for second place in the division.

“It’s so tight,” Daniel Cleary said. “It’s going to come down to the last week of the season for three or four spots.

“We’re doing OK, getting better as a team which is normal,” Cleary added. “We’re happy with where we are.”

Ins and outs

Todd Bertuzzi and Darren Helm, who both are bothered by back injuries, didn’t practice and won’t play Wednesday against the St. Louis Blues.

“Bert they’re hoping was going to turn the corner here and he hasn’t at all and Helmer I saw him walk in here (Tuesday) and I haven’t seen him since so he must not be very close,” Wings coach Mike Babcock said.

Bertuzzi has missed the last two games, while Helm has played just one game all season.

Mikael Samuelsson (groin) and Jonas Gustavsson (groin) both took part in their first full practices in quite some time.

“When I come back, still don’t know, got to ask the coaches,” said Samuelsson, who has been out since Jan. 22. “I feel better and better each day. I feel really close.”

At first Samuelsson said he was hopeful to return by the weekend, but then shot that down after being asked by Babcock.

“We have a conversation every morning I come in, then in the afternoon and evening,” Samuelsson said. “When I’m on the ice we’re talking, too, and then we’ll decide what’s best.”

Gustavsson, who hasn’t played since the season opener, shared the net with Petr Mrazek in practice.

“Maybe a few practices and then I’ll be good to go,” Gustavsson said. “I’ve been feeling good every time I’ve been on the ice now. I’ve been trying to push harder and harder. Maybe the next practice I’ll try to make some more shots and then I’m good to go. It’s always tough to say exactly what game I’ll be back.”

Babcock thinks he’s going with the same lineup Wednesday, which means Patrick Eaves and Kent Huskins would be healthy scratches.

Black eye

Cory Emmerton was sporting a shiner under his right eye thanks to the butt-end of the stick of Los Angeles’ Mike Richards in the first period Sunday.

“He dropped his stick and it just kind of came into my visor,” Emmerton said. “Visors are good, but I don’t think it would have looked as bad because it kind of got stuck in the visor. If I didn’t have a visor it would have just kind of hit and left, but I’m not going to say that I’m not going to wear a visor. Sometimes, in a rare instance like that, it can actually make it look worse. But that’s OK.”

Lidstrom coming back

Wings fans may get a chance Wednesday or at least by Friday to thank Nicklas Lidstrom one last time for this service in Detroit.

Lidstrom will arrive in Detroit sometime Wednesday to attend this weekend’s Fourth Annual Detroit SportsFest on Saturday at the Suburban Collection Showcase in Novi.

It’s not known whether if he’ll arrive in time for Wednesday’s game with the Blues, but he will be there Friday against Anaheim where he may drop a ceremonial first puck.

Send comments to chuck.pleiness@macombdaily.com, follow him on twitter @redwingsfront and visit his blog at redwingsfront.wordpress.com